Spy Clothes
Recent press reports indicate a major investment by the American government in the creation of special smart fabrics. The IARPA project is being lobbied by the military and intelligence services. The so-called "intelligent textiles" will help them solve emerging tactical tasks at a more technological level. According to experts, this is the largest investment of US funds in eTextile, although work in this direction has been carried out for decades.
It is planned to establish for the needs of the army and special services the production of a whole range of garments capable of recording video and audio, collecting and sending geolocation data. These can be trousers, shirts, jackets and even underwear, externally indistinguishable from ordinary ones. They will be based on smart fabrics that can be washed and ironed, as people do with ordinary clothes. The government, according to The Intercept report, has already spent about $ 22 million on the implementation of the IARPA project. It is assumed that the first batches of "spy" clothes will soon be released within its framework. For this purpose, several companies and such large scientific centers as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Nautilus Defense have been involved on a contractual basis. Substantial expenditures on scientific research have long been the norm for the US military — although their developments do not always "take off". So, the US Special Operations Command for 6 years, starting in 2013, funded the creation of a light assault suit, spending $ 80 million on it. In 2019, the project was curtailed, and the intended goals were not achieved.
